Chapter 114: Ding Li on Leave

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Early the next morning, it was not only Wang De and the others, who had been reprimanded the night before, who reported to the Ding residence on time. The laborers who made their living at the docks were equally punctual. Shortly after dawn, they had already gathered outside the still-closed gates, muttering and cursing at the Chaozhou Gang militia guards inside, who had spent the entire night on watch.

Soon afterward, Xu Hong arrived at Guangzhou Port surrounded by a number of guards from the Ding residence. He first made a grand circuit of the four dock gates—A, B, C, and D—drawing the full attention of both the dock laborers and the militia stationed within the gates. Then, in a loud voice, he announced something that caused an uproar among everyone present.

The chief supervisor of each dock was to lead the men under him in counting the number of laborers in attendance and report the figure to Xu Hong before noon. Since the docks had been sealed and everyone was temporarily out of work, each person would receive ten copper coins as temporary compensation, jointly funded by the Nanhai Gang and the Zhang Clan Merchant Association.

Ten copper coins was not much, but most people accepted them gladly, believing that something was better than nothing. Besides, all they had to do was stand at the docks. The pay was meager, but at least they were not required to do any actual labor. Even so, the ten copper coins were not so easily earned. The condition was that they report to the docks at dawn each day and remain there until late afternoon. What they did during those hours was not something anyone particularly cared about.

With money to be distributed, the several dock supervisors worked with considerable enthusiasm. Of course, that enthusiasm only appeared after Xu Hong had privately promised them a small share of the benefits. A quarter of an hour before noon, the total number of dock laborers gathered at the port was presented to Xu Hong.

Xu Hong now cut a particularly imposing figure. After hearing Ding Li’s plan, he had not merely decided to contend with the Chaozhou Gang militia; even his performance that day was unusually extravagant. More than twenty meters across from the gate of Dock B, he had ordered his men to erect a temporary gate modeled exactly after the one opposite.

At that moment, Xu Hong sat within the newly built enclosure, whose walls surrounded an area of less than a hundred square meters. He was seated behind a table nearly three meters long, facing the spacious gate of Dock B. What gave him the greatest pleasure, however, was not the parasol overhead, but the dozen or so dancing girls swaying gracefully across the open space before him.

After Xu Hong announced the arrangements near the end of the morning, this small patch of ground became the focus of everyone’s attention. Amid the music of drums, zithers, flutes, and reed instruments, the dancers seemed as light as swallows, their flowing sleeves fluttering in the air.

The climate of Guangzhou Prefecture was hot and oppressively humid. Though the dancers wore garments that barely concealed their bodies, they could not keep dancing for quarter-hour after quarter-hour without being drenched in sweat. Several troupes took turns performing, yet every appearance left each dancer perspiring heavily—including the dock laborers gathered outside the enclosure, their eyes wide as they jostled one another for a better view.

Men who made their living selling their strength at the docks had rarely come from wealthy families. It would be an exaggeration to say they could not afford wives or had never seen women, but unlike Ding Li, they had not been blessed with such extraordinary good fortune. Though Ding Li had once worked at nearly the lowest level of society, he had nevertheless possessed a virtuous, capable, and breathtakingly beautiful wife at home.

Dancers and singing girls were not uncommon in Guangzhou Prefecture, but these laborers could hardly afford to watch them in their daily lives. Now they had been given the chance to feast their eyes. Although the dancers’ bodies were soaked with sweat, their clinging garments revealed their graceful figures even more completely. Their skin appeared crystalline beneath the sunlight, and the fragrance of their sweat seemed to lend the surrounding air a natural sweetness. The men’s senses were stirred to the point that some felt a single nose was not enough, inhaling desperately to savor every trace of the rare and alluring scent.

Even the dry rations the dock laborers carried with them seemed especially delicious when they ate at noon. Naturally, there were also a few lecherous fellows in the crowd whose drooling saved them a fair amount of fresh water.

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Xu Hong’s lunch was no different from that of the ordinary dock laborers. He had some plain water that tasted especially sweet because of the dryness in the air, along with two dry flatbreads so hard that even tearing them with his teeth was difficult. Yet the summary sheets before him, listing the number of dock laborers, left Xu Hong secretly astonished. He pulled from his mouth a piece of bread he had just torn off with considerable effort. Though his brows creased slightly, a flicker of excitement shone in his eyes as he murmured, “One thousand seven hundred and forty-eight people! Good heavens! That many? More than four hundred above yesterday’s total!”

Clearly, Xu Hong was delighted—more precisely, delighted that the number had increased by over four hundred. He immediately made a decision Ding Li had not anticipated. After summoning the four chief supervisors and whispering a few words to them, Xu Hong happily leaned back in his chair once more. With a water flask in his left hand and a piece of flatbread in his right, he watched the graceful women dancing before him. Without realizing it, he had cast aside the restraint expected of a man of letters; even as he chewed the bread, saliva gathered at the corners of his mouth.

The performance by the singers and dancers continued until late in the afternoon. Under the half-hearted gaze of the crowd, several troupes escorted by the Nanhai Gang finally departed. Xu Hong, however, was about to face the busiest task of the day.

He was to distribute compensation stipends. As for what a stipend actually meant, Xu Hong had only heard a simple explanation from Ding Li. His task was merely to carry out the order. This time, he handed every person present a single copper coin. The people did not understand why the payment was called a stipend, and many were bewildered that they could receive money merely for watching a performance. Still, since it was money, everyone was happy to accept the unexpected windfall.

Yet distributing the coins took Xu Hong a full two hours. It was past dusk by the time he finally rubbed his aching neck and silently groaned in misery. In the end, however, the results delighted him. Because of the decision he had made at noon, the number of people receiving the afternoon stipend had suddenly increased by more than six hundred. In other words, approximately two thousand four hundred people had gathered at the docks that afternoon—a figure so large that even Xu Hong was stunned.

According to incomplete statistics, the Chaozhou Gang had no more than eight hundred members. The newer Nanhai Gang, whose reputation was somewhat better, had only a little over a thousand. Those figures included the total membership of both gangs in Fuxu Town. Yet Xu Hong had now witnessed a crowd of two thousand four hundred. If Ding Li’s earlier words were correct, then the Nanhai Gang now held the loyalty of those two thousand four hundred people. How many of them could truly be relied upon, however, remained to be seen.

Without lingering any longer, and with the setting sun already completely hidden behind the distant, towering city walls, Xu Hong carefully sorted and gathered the day’s results—the compiled records—then left the docks under the escort of his attendants.

Ding Li was now enjoying a complete leave of absence. Since the docks had been sealed, there was practically nothing for him to handle. His only relative was also staying at the Ding residence, so he was more than happy to remain there and keep Liu Sheng company. As for why the Zhang Clan Merchant Association had not come to question him about the closure or discuss how it should be resolved, Ding Li assumed, wishfully, that Uncle Xiang had spoken on his behalf. He would never have imagined that the decision had been made personally by the head of the Zhang family.

Inside the room, Ding Li had dismissed all the servants. Only he remained, leaning against the head of Liu Sheng’s bed and telling her jokes that required him to rack his brains to remember—such as the once-popular tale about Little Ming being thrown out of the room. Every so often, Liu Sheng’s soft laughter drifted through the chamber.

Ding Li was wholly absorbed in her that day. Even when night fell and Liu Sheng’s face, only a foot away, had grown indistinct in the darkness, he failed to realize how late it had become. He remained immersed in the laughter and warmth they shared.

Perhaps it was because of what had happened in Fuxu Town, or because Liu Sheng had been so badly frightened that she now appeared as she did. Whenever Ding Li looked at her, beneath the boundless tenderness in his eyes lay a trace of guilt and bewilderment. Yet all of it was deeply suppressed by the sense of responsibility in his heart.

It was not until a maid outside gently reminded him that Xu Hong had returned to the residence that Ding Li realized night had fully descended. He also remembered the important matter of the day, and his spirits immediately lifted. Even so, he continued smiling at Liu Sheng and merely told the maid to ask Xu Hong to wait for him in the main reception hall.

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After rising to light the lamps in the room, Ding Li hurried straight back to the bedside. Only then did he see clearly that Liu Sheng’s face was still flushed from the lingering heat. He was about to speak when the considerate Liu Sheng spoke first. A trace of reluctance and hesitation flashed through her eyes, but she finally parted her red lips and whispered, “Brother Li, you should go and see Mr. Xu first. Perhaps he really has something important to tell you. Otherwise, he would not have sent them to summon you.”

“It’s nothing. It must be some account books concerning the docks, and it can wait a little while.”

At her words, a sudden wave of guilt rose within Ding Li. Even the sense of responsibility he had always considered most important could not suppress it. Shaking his head, he spoke with unprecedented gentleness. He caught Liu Sheng’s slender hand, which had just slipped out from beneath the quilt, and firmly tucked it back in. His gaze was as tender as hers, and he smiled as he added, “In this world, what could possibly be more important than staying with you, Sheng’er? You are my woman. Now that you are ill, naturally I must remain by your side every step of the way.”

Hearing his undisguised affection, perhaps because she still had a slight fever, Liu Sheng’s scarlet cheeks remained remarkably composed. Yet the shyness in her eyes was unmistakable. She cast him a reproachful glance, and the hands Ding Li had pressed beneath the quilt struggled faintly before finally relaxing. With a look of complete contentment, she continued to persuade him softly, “Brother Li, although our lives are better now, the burden on your shoulders is heavier too. Besides, I have only a minor illness. You do not need to keep watch over me like this. Go and see Mr. Xu first. It would be a shame to delay something important.”

Ding Li smiled faintly. Though he, too, was eager to leave, the sight of the obedient and considerate Liu Sheng made his feet feel as heavy as a thousand pounds. He could not move them at all.

“There’s no hurry. A little while won’t make any difference.” The smile on Ding Li’s face was more radiant than ever, and the happiness in his eyes was wholly undisguised. He was savoring this quiet moment alone with her.

After whispering sweet nothings for a while longer, Ding Li suddenly realized that Liu Sheng must be hungry as well. He reached out to caress her smooth cheek and asked tenderly, “Sheng’er, what would you like to eat tonight? I can make all sorts of things. I’ll cook personally this evening.”

Liu Sheng thought for a moment, then blinked her large eyes, which had regained their former sparkle, and asked with a smile, “Crispy thin cakes. Can you make them?”

“Of course I can! Naturally!” Ding Li nodded without the slightest hesitation. Then he deliberately pulled a mournful expression and explained sheepishly in a low voice, “But whether they’ll suit your taste, I can’t promise.”